What's Your Verdict? Endurance Running Vs Sprinting

Discussion in Sports & Fitness started by TommyVercetti • Feb 18, 2015.

  1. TommyVercetti

    TommyVercettiActive Member

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    I've been thinking long and hard about the relative advantages of each. Both types are of course very good exercises when you look at it, but believe it or not they have different effects on your body.
    Let's start with endurance running. If you've ever tried to run for 30 minutes straight you know that it's primary an aerobic workout. Your heart is at an overall faster pace and your lung get a pretty good workout as well. Endurance runners tend to have lean muscles because this type of running doesn't exactly promote the kind of muscle growth that weight lifting does. It primarily supports the lean muscles.
    Next is Sprinting. It's an explosive exercise and it really gets the heart going. It also trains the fast twitch muscles but doesn't really train your endurance. Your lungs don't get the same workout. Endurance is very important if you are into a lot of sports.
    So in your opinion, what's better?
     
  2. JoanMcWench

    JoanMcWenchActive Member

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    Hmm, tough. Personally I prefer sprinting. I guess that's because of how I have run since high school. It's not so much a familiarity as it is a habit.
     
  3. Thejamal

    ThejamalActive Member

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    I think both are important and can be very effective as a cardio workout. You always want to be "confusing" your body and never get comfortable in doing one workout all the time. With regards to cardio especially, it's important not to get complacent.

    If I HAD to choose though, I'd probably go with endurance running as I like just falling into a pace and running for awhile. I do sprint workouts on occasion, but normally through sports like Ultimate Frisbee and basketball.
     
  4. hayrake

    hayrakeActive Member

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    I like trail running and so most times I go for endurance, but it's good to mix it up and throw some sprints in there, too. I think endurance, overall, is better for you. Good fast sprints, though, can burn an awful lot of calories quickly, and sometimes that's exactly what I want it to do.
     
  5. clairebeautiful

    clairebeautifulActive Member

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    I think if you are competing, you go with what you are good at. If you are looking for something enjoyable, I say go with endurance running. If you can get into the kind of shape it takes, you can find a pace and stride with running that is as comfortable as walking. You can carry on a conversation, you can think clearly, you might even experience the ever sought after "runner's high."

    There is a reason so many people are into running well into their senior years.... if you can do it, it is wonderful. I'm not sure you will ever feel the same amount of satisfaction from sprinting.
     
  6. Colebra

    ColebraActive Member

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    The science behind each workout is something that I can't explain properly...
    But you burn much more fat with sprinting. Fact.
    Unless you mean like marathon training when you refer to endurance running, you can't even compare the amount of energy expended in each workout.

    If running some beautiful trails is your thing, more power to you! :cool:
    But let's be realistic about how those different workouts, have very different results on athletics.

    Which means that this is an insane statement... o_O

    You go do some sprinting and get back to me... :p
     
  7. 003

    003Well-Known Member

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    Sprinting isn't for beginner. Before you become good at it, you'd have first to have an endurance in running. Only once that you have gained endurance is the time that you can do sprinting because you have to gain first a good technique which you can't get by jumping directly to sprinting. If you jump straightaway to sprinting you might just end up injuring yourself which you wouldn't want to happen.
     
  8. MoneyMan

    MoneyManMember

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    It depends on your personal preference. As a track runner, endurance is much more important to me because I run long distances. However, for a short distance runner, sprinting would benefit them more. All a matter of personal taste.
     
  9. Squigly

    SquiglyActive Member

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    I sort of do a mix of the two, in the form of interval training. By doing high-intensity sprints in two minute intervals, with a 2 minute rest interval in between, you train both your cardiovascular endurance and your muscular maximum output.
     
  10. DreekLass

    DreekLassWell-Known Member

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    I have always been a sprinter since I was a child. It came naturally to me, running really fast!! I never did endurance running. But now that I have been out of that world for such a long time, I should imagine that endurance running would help me to get back to it. I do think that endurance running would be a lot more useful in every day situations, than sprinting and getting burned out.
     
  11. lordrenly

    lordrenlyActive Member

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    I guess in the end, it all depends on what sports are you going to do. Personally, I think that if you are doing sports where quick burst of speed is needed such as football, then sprinting is the right exercise for you. However, for anything else, including for people who don't do sports, I think endurance running is better. It is because outside of sports, I can see more applications of having higher endurance and lungs' power such as when you travel, moving, doing chores, etc.
     
  12. goldenmaine

    goldenmaineActive Member

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    I do endurance running more because I want to do some good cardio and sweat out a lot during exercise. I also like how I feel so tired after a long run where I can’t breathe anymore and my legs are so tired but I want to keep on going. I don’t do sprinting much because it is more of a training for sports in which explosiveness and jerking motions are improved and practice. These may be for sports like basketball or football. My sports are usually endurance ones like cycling and swimming so endurance runs are better for me.
     
  13. xTinx

    xTinxWell-Known Member

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    It all depends on your build and your body's capacity. I personally prefer sprinting. It's fast but it won't drain you for long. Running's good but it may take its toll on you if you lack endurance. Jogging would be a better bargain, I guess.
     
  14. Onionman

    OnionmanActive Member

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    I'm probably more inclined to do endurance running, though in my younger years it was most definitely sprinting. Overall, though, I've tried a bit of interval running that has combined the two in order to get a different kind of experience.
     
  15. valiantx

    valiantxActive Member

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    Why do both types of running? I see benefits in sprint and endurance running, because both go hand in hand regarding situation that require one to run from danger. For example, sprint running is similar to throwing hay-maker in boxing while endurance running is similar to jabbing continuously, both are effect if used properly - it all depends what is the situation or goal as to why one made the choice to either practice sprint or endurance running.
     
  16. troutski

    troutskiWell-Known Member

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    Sprint training gives you the benefit of fat burning, but endurance running is probably better overall. You get a more full workout, and you still wind up burning some amount of fat and calories. A lot of people hate distance running, but it's something that you can easily become better at. I haven't run in quite some time, and I could still probably bust out 3 to 5 miles with enough determination.
     
  17. FolkArtist

    FolkArtistActive Member

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    I do a lot of jogging for long periods-and I find it quite relaxing overall, but sprinting burns calories a lot faster though with shorter distances involved. You should probably mix it up a bit with the sprinting and jogging though,and when I ran cross country in High School they always did sprints as well as train for the longer distances, so to have a fast finish at the end to really blow by somebody and win the race at the last second.






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    #17Aug 21, 2017
    Last edited: Aug 21, 2017